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LG Display's 65-inch OLED prototype screen doesn't need speakers
LG Display's best prototypes here at CES 2017 were definitely its unusual 65-inch OLED Ultra HD panels with speakers integrated right into the display itself. How does that work? It's all thanks to the slender nature of OLED tech, meaning an organic LED screen can act as a membrane for audio. A pair of tiny speaker drivers then delivers vibrations into the huge OLED screen, producing sound. (The entire screen itself vibrates while doing so.) try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}
Sony upgrades its 4K line with Dolby Vision ... and OLED
If you can't beat 'em, use 'em. That seems to be the logic of Panasonic and now Sony, which is announcing its first OLED TV. The XBR-A1E Bravia uses a trick we just heard about from LG Display, which embeds a sound system within the screen itself. That's thanks to the thinness of the OLED panel, which Sony claims makes for an "unmatched visual and aural experience" called Acoustic Surface. The OLED TV will be available in 55-, 65- and 77-inch models.
Sony's $25K projector fulfills the dream of putting a screen anywhere
Sony has shown off pricey Life Space projectors at CES before, but this short-throw model is the first to bear its high-end ES label. Like other short-throw projectors, this one is made to project a large (100-inch) image on a wall from as close as 6 inches. That kind of capability means it can blend into a room instead of requiring a dedicated home theater. It will require dedication from your budget, however, thanks to its staggering $25,000 price tag. Naturally, it is 4K and HDR compatible and will go on sale in April. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.
Hisense's laser projector promises a 100-inch 4K screen for $13K
After a few years of absence, laser projectors are back: First LG announced one, and now Hisense has, too. Unlike LG's 1080p beamer, however, this short-throw projector can display a 100-inch 4K image from just a few inches away, and 2,700 lumens that will make it usable in the daytime. Dubbed 4K Laser Cast TV, the package is HDR-compatible and will include a 5.1 audio system when it goes on sale this summer.
Panasonic follows LG with its first OLED TV
You don't have to opt for LG to get OLED now that Panasonic has announced the EZ1002. For its first OLED TV, the display is probably still the same one you'd get from LG, but Panasonic has tied this to its Studio Colour HCX2 processor, plus it has ISF calibration settings and is CALMAN compatible to help pros get the picture exactly right. Panasonic has applied for (but apparently not yet received) THX Certification and Ultra HD Premium certification and says the TV supports HDR 10 as well as Hybrid Log-Gamma HDR. Unfortunately, Dolby Vision support isn't mentioned anywhere, for the new TV or for the pair of Ultra HD Blu-ray players Panasonic announced. We'll see if a software update changes any of that, but with more Dolby Vision content on the way it could be an important line dividing these from other OLED or UHD Blu-ray options.
HDMI's new spec improves 8K, HDR and gaming
You're about to feel better if you've been holding back on buying a new TV. The HDMI Forum has unveiled a new specification for its namesake video connector, HDMI 2.1, and there's enough here to make enthusiasts happy. It now supports both very high resolutions and high frame rates. In particular, you can get 4K at a speedy 120Hz, and 8K at 60Hz (when 8K sets are ready). You'll even see 8K with high dynamic range, although you'll need new 48Gbps cables to experience this and other high-bandwidth features in all their uncompressed glory. Thankfully, there are some upgrades that shouldn't take years to reach your living room.
TCL adds Dolby Vision HDR to more of its 4K Roku TVs
Today at CES, Roku unveiled 25 new Roku 4K TVs for the North American market, lowering the price bar for Dolby Vision HDR tech. As with past models, its latest C-series and P-series sets have built-in Roku streaming, giving you access to most smart TV and streaming services. TCL isn't exactly known for its great picture quality, but those lineups come with Dolby Vision HDR, giving you more colors, a brighter image and deeper blacks. And while such sets have generally cost $1,000 and up, the 50-inch P-series TV will launch for an affordable $500.
LG's new OLED TVs are so thin they have to be wall mounted
LG has made a habit of wowing us with new 4K OLED TV sets at CES for the past few years, and this year isn't any different. With its insanely thin W-series, the company has managed to outdo its still-impressive G6 "Picture on Glass" TVs. LG's tagline for the W-series 4K sets -- "Picture on Wall" -- sums up their appeal. At just 2.6mm thin across their entire frame, they can be mounted completely flat against your wall. They look more like a work of modern art than any television I've seen.
LG Display's new OLED TV panels bake in the sound system
It wouldn't be CES without LG Display wheeling out its latest panel tech and forward-looking prototypes. This year is no different, with the company announcing it's got all kinds of displays to show off at the convention, including transparent and double-sided OLED numbers. LG Display, which makes the panels that end up in consumer TVs sold by other firms such as LG proper, is also introducing new, "paper-thin" 65- and 77-inch Ultra HD Wallpaper OLED screens intended for wall-mounted sets. "Crystal Sound OLED" is by far the most interesting new tech the company has developed, though, as the 55- and 65-inch Ultra HD panels feature an integrated sound system.
Warner, Universal and Lionsgate promise Dolby Vision 4K Blu-ray discs
Ultra HD Blu-ray already features high-dynamic-range (HDR) video for better colors and contrast, but now a few more studios are promising to support the expanded Dolby Vision standard on their disc releases. Warner Bros., Universal and Lionsgate are on the list, although there's no mention of which movies will be released that way this year.
Sevenhugs made a smart remote that's truly universal
Those "universal remote controls" that only control your home entertainment center? They might need a new name. Meet the Sevenhugs Smart Remote, which controls not only your TV but also your Nest thermostat, Philips Hue lights, Sonos speakers and, well, nearly 25,000 different connected devices. Plus, thanks to infrared, internal position sensors and third-party APIs, you can even order an Uber by pointing it at your front door. Yeah, no kidding.
Samsung's QLED 4K TVs look better, thanks to metal quantum dots
Here's the truth about most premium non-OLED 4K TVs today: They all look pretty good. But it's the small differences among them that make it tough to choose a new 4K set. As we move into 2017, prepare for those differences to get even more subtle. Case in point: Samsung just announced its new QLED 4K lineup at CES, which offers brightness, color and other improvements over last year's high-end SUHD lineup. Basically, it's yet another attempt to get LED TVs' picture quality on par with what you'd expect from an OLED set.
Amazon Fire TV Edition televisions put its box in the big screen
Earlier today Amazon announced that Seiki, Element Electronics and Westinghouse will sell TVs with its Fire TV experience built in, and tonight we got to see them in action. As promised, the televisions pack the latest version of the Fire TV software, with Alexa voice commands plus the usual apps and tweaks. What they add to it are wrinkles needed for TVs, plus the convenience of not having to switch inputs all the time.
Mohu teases its wireless TV antenna
One thing about cord-cutting and switching to antenna-delivered TV is that some people can't get a good signal near their TV. Mohu's new AirWave antenna solves that by making it wireless. The $150 device just needs to plug into power to catch TV broadcasts, transcode them and stream the video via WiFi to its apps on platforms like Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, iOS and Android, not to mention the web. We couldn't get all the details tonight at the CES Unveiled event, but it should hit shelves in the spring.
Dish brings Alexa and multi-room music to Hopper DVRs
Until recently, the world of voice-controlled computing, nay, voice-controlled living, seemed like it was still a few years away from becoming mainstream. Amazon's Alexa platform, however, has made it easy for companies to bolt on the technology to their existing products. Case in point: Dish has announced that you'll soon be able to pair your Hopper DVR with the Amazon Echo or Echo Dot in order to change channels just by speaking.
